After a series of negotiations that lasted nearly throughout the English summer, Chelsea full-back Marcus Alonso finally got his transfer confirmed to FC Barcelona on the transfer deadline day. Both clubs officially confirmed the move a day after the deadline day, with Barcelona confirming the 1-year duration and 50 million euro buyout clause.
“FC Barcelona and Marcos Alonso have reached an agreement to sign the player after he terminated his contract with Chelsea Football Club. The defender will sign a contract until 30 June 2023 and the buyout clause has been set at 50 million euros,”
the official statement from the Catalans said.
Barca let go of Jordi Alba on a loan deal, which made it increasingly important to confirm the Alonso transfer. The saga lasted over a few months and there were multiple instances when it was believed that Chelsea will prevent the Madrid-born footballer from joining the Blaugrana. But with Marc Cucurella settling into the Chelsea side, Alonso’s re-entry doors were totally shut.
Alonso spent hai academy days with Real Madrid and spent six years with Los Blancos before making his name in AFC Fiorentina. He made a 23-million-pound move to Chelsea in 2016 and made over 200 appearances in this time period. The 31-year-old had his ups and downs but won nearly all the accolades during his spell at Stamford Bridge, including the Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup and Europa League.
Chelsea and Barcelona have exchanged some transfer battles this summer, most of which were won by the latter. It seemed like a matter of time for the Blues to complete the signing of Raphinha and Jules Kounde, with both players agreeing personal terms. But once the 6-time European champions stepped in, they did not hesitate to snub Chelsea.
Chelsea did make something out of the Alonso deal, signing former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in a deal worth 12 million euros. This signing is expected to solve the club’s long-standing problem of finding a lethal striker, as they were left opened up with the departures of Romelu Lukaku (loan deal to Inter Milan) and Timo Werner (permanent deal to RB Leipzig).
